Article: Stranger Danger: Where Can Stranger Things Go Next?

Stranger danger!!! Where can Stranger Things go next? Here's a few ideas.

After a stunning first season that paid tribute to all things '80s, The Duffer Brothers have announced that a season two is in the works and is all but ordered by Netflix. With a conclusion that closed out the current story but left most of our characters still dangling in the mystery that had formed before them, there are a few different ways they could go with the second season. The Duffers state that the next set of chapters will be a sequel to this season and will not be an anthology like American Horror Story. So, here's just a few ideas of where they could possibly go with a continuance of the Stranger Tales saga.

Yeah, bro. Give us your ideas. I brought snacks.

1. Pick up where we left off. This is the easiest route. Since episode eight was open ended and we were given some but not a massive bit of closure, the story could really take off right from where we left our characters. The mystery of Eleven could continue while the main players find a new way to explore The Upside Down with new creepy beings beginning to take over the town. There was so much left unsaid in the first season that they could really spend another eight episodes exploring and piecing together all that had transpired already. With scientific intervention by some new characters, possibly skeptics, there could be a lot more room to breathe with the way we left off. 2. Flash forward. Numerous rumors have pointed to them flashing forward to another decade. Our main characters would be a bit older as another story begins to grapple the town. Years after the first story has concluded, the disappearances begin again and an older, wiser set of friends decides to take up the mantle of finally solving the mystery of The Upside Down. Considering the hard elements of Stephen King throughout the first season, they could continue to mash more of the constructs of IT! and Dreamcatcher into the tale. The only thing that would suck about this option would be losing the '80s feel and tone that we all loved so much. 3. A new town. Although we've been given hints that Chief Jim Hopper would be a constant throughout whichever way the series goes, we could move to a whole new environment where similar happenings are taking place. The character of Hopper could somehow remain a key component and inform the new town of what had happened, carrying his story forward as the show goes somewhere new and fresh. However, this might spell the ultimate undoing of his character as more baddies come out of the woodwork. Sadly, this would abandon all the pre-teen characters we've grown to love.

But papa, all these ideas make my nose bleed.

4. Prequel. Very little was told about the story of Eleven, what other people had been used for experimentation., the interdimensional being, and The Upside Down. The Duffer Brothers could take us back a few decades and center a story around an Area 51 type of scientific conspiracy arc that would give us the backstory for Dr. Martin Brenner's experiments and how things came to be. Since we were given just enough to know how Eleven played into the origination of the current story, it might be cool to see how exactly Brenner came to be and how he lost control and how his experiments ultimately went awry. Touching on more elements from The X-Files mixed with the current tones of the unknown may set forth an interesting new story. 5. Sideways. In a move that might be the most creatively inspired, Stranger Things could go sideways and show us other stories that are going on at the same time as what we've already seen. While the anthology element has already been shot down, there would undoubtedly be other ramifications happening for the townsfolk. Considering that this involves other dimensions, it would be easy to open doors to more darkened realms of evil. Creating a whole new set of characters and another mysterious journey that takes place in the same time frame might be a really cool way to maintain the retro horror and sci fi elements while introducing new rules, a brand new story, and a new set of main players that doesn't destroy what we know already and ultimately leaves the characters we love in a paused state of being, leaving them open to return at any time.

Dude. Would you stop already? The Duffer Brothers know what they're doing.......Wait. That last idea was kinda cool. Nevermind.

It's always fun to imagine where your favorite shows may go in the future. Luckily for us, Stranger Things is the type of fictional property that inspires its viewers to think and imagine. I personally haven't been this enthused about a creative property in years. Immediately after the show concluded, I was stewing on how they might go with this thing. Although none of my ideas are even close to what they'll do, it's a fun science fiction/horror property to wax on. Hopefully, the next season is just as good.

Please comment below on our thoughts and let us know where you think the series might go next.